Apple's AirPods Pro 3 are still chuck-and-buy-again specials

Zero repairability rating: iFixit teardown finds earbuds glued, unfixable, and destined for recycling

Improvements in repairability might have been made elsewhere in Apple's product range, but the AirPods Pro 3 model continue to make repairs virtually impossible.

iFixit's teardown of Apple's latest earbuds reveals a device that remains stubbornly unrepairable — a disappointing finding considering even the ultra-thin iPhone Air recently earned a provisional 7 out of 10 repairability score thanks to thoughtful design choices.

AirPods have been a massive success for Apple, with the company steadily upgrading the in-ear devices over the years. The AirPods Pro 3 are crammed full of features: heart-rate monitoring, IP57 water resistance ("meaning they'll shrug off rain and sweat a little better," according to iFixit), and Apple's Active Noise Cancellation.

Use the noise cancellation, and you can expect up to eight hours of listening time from a single charge. But if you want to change that battery when it inevitably degrades, don't bother.

Look away now, fanbois (pic: iFixit)

There's no subtle way to put this. The batteries in the AirPods Pro 3 are not replaceable. Even iFixit – armed with hot air, sharp tools, and years of experience – managed to damage the casing of the earbud when prising it open, only to find yet more glue holding down the coin-cell battery within.

"The design forces critical flex cables through solder points and glued channels that make reassembly nearly impossible," said iFixit. "One wrong move and the microphone array or ANC hardware is toast."

The case tells the same story of blood, sweat, tears, and a lot of glue.

Apple has once again created a device that must be disposed of at the end of its short life. At £219 ($249 in the States) a time, this is less than ideal. It is also unnecessary. Fairbuds retail at £129, and while the audio quality doesn't match Apple's device and extras like heart-rate monitoring are absent, they can be easily repaired and their batteries replaced by an ordinary user.

Apple's design makes the AirPods Pro 3 not repairable by end users or most repair shops, and as iFixit observed, "they continue to set a low bar that the entire industry has followed."

The verdict: "The AirPods Pro 3 sound great, track your heart rate, and handle a dunk in water better than before. But when it comes to repairability, they're still a 0 out of 10." ®